Love Circle
by ClawtailNRazor
Summary: What if Shrewpaw hadn't died? What if he became Shrewtail and lived? In the endless battle on Squirrelflight, who will win? Ashfur, Brambleclaw, Or tiny Shrewtail? And how far are they willing to go to win the she-cat they all love? There will be blood..
1. Shrewtail

Shrewtail sat and watched his clanmates from the highrocks.  
It was midday and the hot sun was washing into his pelt, causing his body to feel hot and sticky.  
He wanted to be laying down in the shade, but he was keeping watch.  
His paws itched restlessly and his stomach growled, but he ignored it.  
Shewtail sighed loudly before laying down, crossing his paws and laying his head down on them.  
He eyed the cats in camp lazily.  
From where his small brown figure was settled, he could spot Graystripe and Millie, busy with their kits. Bumblekit was acting more rambunctious then usual. Graystripe suddenly twisted around and said something to his kit, a stern look on his face and Shrewtail guessed he was scolding the little brown kitten.  
He also saw Birchfall sitting with his mate Whitewing.  
Shrewtail twitched his whiskers as a bee buzzed past his face, then he searched the camp for one face, one very special face.  
Cinderheart, Leafpool, Mousefur...... There!  
A flash of bright orange fur and green eyes, she was there.  
Squirrelflight.

The she-cat he had been in love with since he was a apprentice.  
Everything about her captivated him and made his heart beat so fast he was scared it would explode. Her narrow face, long lithe body, dazzling leaf green eyes. Her orange fur always had this gleam to it, it always reflected the sunlight. Shrewtail looked at his own dingy fur and then sat up to give himself a good washing.  
Dirt was all over his fur, and Shrewtail felt a wave of embarrassment spread over him, making him even more hot. He was hoping Squirrelflight hadn't seen him in this condition, dirty and scruffy like a kit.  
Why couldn't he ever keep his pelt clean?  
As he rasped his tongue over his fur, he pretended it was really Squirrelflight, cleaning his back with gentle strokes.  
Even the thought of her sent shivers up his spine!  
Licking his muzzle one more time, Shrewtail lay down once more and closed his amber eyes, shutting out the world around him.  
Oh, if only Squirrelflight felt the same way!  
He heard a yowl from below and opened his eyes.  
What he saw no surprise, but it upset him anyway.

It was _Ashfur and Brambleclaw_. The two toms he hated the most. He despised them with everything he had.

They were nothing to him.  
They were always trailing after his Squirrelflight, following her around like love-sick apprentices.  
It was Brambleclaw who had yowled.  
Somehow he had stepped on a thorn and was begging Squirrelflight to fix it for him.  
It was disgusting! That large muscular tom whining over a little prick in his paw pad.  
"Boo hoo." Shrewtail spat, closing his eyes again.  
A little edge of sadness worked it's way into his heart.  
How would Squirrelflight ever notice him with those two thugs in his way?  
She always did treat him like her childhood friend.  
He wasn't a apprentice anymore! "I'm a Warrior now!" Shrewtail meowed to himself. "And I'm just as good as those two mousebrains. I'm good enough to be her mate..... Right?" He pictured her in his mind, her pelt glowing as usual, her eyes glowing with love.  
Love for him and him alone.  
"I love _you_, Shrewtail." She would purr, pressing her muzzle into his fur. And he would reply just as lovingly.  
"Oh Squirrelflight...." Shrewtail mrrowed to himself, falling deeper into his thoughts.  
"What about 'Squirrelflight'?"  
Shrewtail jumped to his paws at the voice, his whiskers twitching up a storm in humiliation. "Squirrelflight!" He stammered, trying to avoid her confused eyes. "I, er, Nothing!"  
"Oh.... Well....." The flame colored she-cat pushed the dust on the ground into a little pile, causing her white paw to become a brownish color. "I was wondering if you'd like to go hunting. Just me and you?" She glanced up, and Shrewtail searched her eyes for that love he saw in his dreams.  
But her eyes only held that sisterly affection that had always been there, since they were kits in the nursery playing until their mothers returned from eating.  
Shrewtail's heart sunk, and he gulped, trying to swallow his crushed feelings.  
"Oh..... Yeah..... Sure." He forced enthusiasm into his voice and smiled. "I'd love to!"  
"Alright!" Squirrelflight smiled back, and Shrewtail felt faint as he looked into her eyes, so he looked away and started down the steep rocks.  
Well, it was a step. Before he would have to of competed with Brambleclaw and Ashfur!  
Brambleclaw and Ashfur.  
He flashed the tabby tom and gray speckled tom a look of triumph.  
"See you around." He said, making his voice sound so sugar coated no one would ever know he was taunting them.  
Ashfur curled his lip at him, but Brambleclaw didn't do anything but dip his head at them.  
Shrewtail shrugged.  
He was going hunting with the cat he was in love with, and that was all that mattered.

For now.


	2. Brambleclaw

Brambleclaw whisked around, scowling.  
That....... That..... That dung filled vermin!  
He was obnoxious! Crude, foul and disgusting!  
Brambleclaw sunk his long black claws into the dusty ground, and a growl came from his throat.  
Nearby, It scared Ivykit, who jumped up with her tail fluffed. "Don't growl like that, your scaring my kits!" Whitewing scolded, hushing Dovekit who was sniffling. The large tabby opened his mouth to object, to say that her kits were all scaredy-cats, but Birchfall's angry face made him think twice.  
He was clan deputy. What would Firestar say if he saw him quarreling with the warriors?  
Brambleclaw twisted away from staring cats and slunk down to the den.  
What did Squirrelflight see in that mouse? "I'm large and muscular. At least I'd stand a chance in a fight, if not for sure win. Shrewtail is the size of a six moon old apprentice!"  
Brambleclaw settled down in his patch of moss, and across the room he spotted Spiderleg and Rosepaw. Spiderleg seemed to be scolding her quite fiercely, to the point of her whimpering. Brambleclaw, too tied up with his own problems, tried to ignore the father and daughter.  
Squirrelflight had always been hanging around with Shrewtail, since they were kits. And no matter how Brambleclaw tried, she never looked at him with any love, just friendship. He wanted her, dang it! He wanted her so bad his paws itched! He begged starclan to make her fall in love with him, but Starclan would never force someone.  
But, maybe he could. No! That was wrong! Wrong and evil, and bad and.  
But she was so beautiful!  
Her glimmering eyes, pretty orange fur and her voice sounded like a soothing river.  
Brambleclaw twitched his whiskers in distaste as he wondered what his one and only true love was doing with that nasty rat.  
Probably sitting by the river that Shrewtail was fascinated by, getting cozy under shade of the trees, sitting close together.  
"That should be me." Brambleclaw huffed under his breath.  
Wait. He jumped to his paws, suddenly alert, and Spiderleg bounced back, surprised.  
Rosepaw scuttled away like a rabbit, and Spiderleg hissed at something, but Brambleclaw was much too busy thinking to pay attention to what was said. "Them!? Snuggling!? Watching the river!?" Brambleclaw cursed at himself and scrambled out of the den.  
Dustpelt jumped out of his deputy's way in shock, then yelled at him to watch where he was going.  
Brambleclaw quickly tried to leave thunderclan camp, but ran right into none other then.  
Squirrelflight and Shrewtail.  
They had each returned with a fair amount of prey, so Brambleclaw couldn't accuse them of being lazy. "Hiya Brambleclaw." Squirrelflight said cheerfully, flicking him with her tail tip as she trotted by.  
Shrewtail wasn't far behind, but he passed Brambleclaw without saying a word. Brambleclaw quickly turned around and followed Squirrelflight.  
"How about going hunting? Just you and me?" He asked, sending a sly smirk at Shrewtail.  
Shrewtail opened his mouth in a soundless gasp of fury, then lashed his tail, angry.  
"Does everyone around here think I'm not capable of hunting on my own!?" Squirrelflight asked with a hint of a growl.  
"Why, no." Brambleclaw exclaimed, backing up.  
Though his pelt was bristling in anger at two things. She denied hunting with him!? And that stupid look on Shrewtail's grimy face!  
Trying his best, he put all his hurt feelings into his eyes. Squirrelflight saw that pain in them, and sighed.  
"I'm sorry Brambleclaw." She meowed. "I've just been so tired lately. I don't know whats wrong with me, I'm sorry for snapping like that."  
"Probably all the hunting." Brambleclaw ears swiveled towards the new husky voice, and his pelt grew hot with envy.  
Ashfur.  
The gloating gray nightmare. "Come over here Squirrelflight and let me wash your fur for you while you sleep." Ashfur offered kindly, and Squirrelflight meowed a thanks. "You must be exhausted, doing all that hunting and such." Ashfur meowed, throwing a pointed glare at Shrewtail, who still had a starling in his jaws, and Brambleclaw. Shrewtail suddenly dropped the starling and stomped out of camp, tail dragging and ears down. Brambleclaw picked up the bird and dropped it into the pile of prey the clan had gathered.  
"Brambleclaw!"  
The tabby tom looked up and spotted his leader, Firestar.  
Firestar jumped down from where he was standing.  
"I need to ask you a favor......"


End file.
